Whether inside or outside, running burns more calories than less strenuous activities, improves your fitness and can improve your mood. If you prefer the treadmill to the track, you also get the benefit of climate control, customized workouts and a reliable, safe place to work out. While putting in a mile a day on a treadmill is a suitable exercise option for most people, it may not be appropriate for everyone. Talk with your doctor before starting a running program if you have a history of heart or orthopedic problems.
Factors
Both your eating and exercise habits affect your current weight, as well as your weight-loss potential. To lose body fat, your calorie intake must be lower than your energy expenditure, regardless of whether you run one or five miles a day. To lose 1 lb. of body fat, you need to establish a deficit of 3,500 calories. Running a mile a day on a treadmill can help you burn enough calories to support weight loss, as long as you manage your caloric intake.
Calorie Intake
If you're already maintaining your weight, putting in a mile a day on your treadmill is likely to result in a gradual loss of body fat. Unless you also increase your calorie intake, adding daily exercise should be enough to support modest weight loss. If, on the other hand, your current eating habits have resulted in weight gain, hitting the treadmill for 10 to 15 minutes a day may help you maintain your current weight or slow your weight gain, but not lose fat. To lose fat in this scenario, you will also need to reduce your caloric intake.
Calorie Burn
Although you can go from maintaining your weight to losing weight --- and consequently losing body fat --- with daily one-milers on a treadmill, you should expect your weight loss to be gradual. The number of calories you burn per mile of running depends on factors such as your speed and your body weight. For example, if you jog at 5 mph, you'll burn approximately 116 calories for every mile, based on a body weight of 160 lbs. A one-mile trek at 8 mph burns about 123 calories. However, calorie expenditure increases to 145 and 153 per mile at 5 mph and 8 mph, respectively, for those who weigh 200 lbs.
Potential
Because you need to burn 3,500 calories to lose 1 lb., it will take approximately one month to lose 1 lb. of body fat, based on an expenditure of 116 calories per running session. Even if you're a faster runner, it may take up to three weeks to burn 1 lb. of fat. To increase your weight-loss potential, you can gradually add distance to your treadmill runs, cut your calories by up to 250 per day or both. Another option is to put in one mile in the morning and another in the afternoon. Incorporating bursts of faster running will also boost your calorie expenditure. On the other hand, if slow, steady fat-loss is what you're after, one-mile runs on your treadmill will help you accomplish your goal.
References
- American Council on Exercise: Ready to Run?
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Physical Activity for a Healthy Weight
- MedlinePlus: Tips for Losing Weight
- MayoClinic.com; Exercise for Weight Loss: Calories Burned in 1 Hour; December 2009
- MayoClinic.com; Interval Training: Can It Boost Your Calorie-burning Power?
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